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Out of all of Canada's incredible geographic characteristics, it's the country's vastness that most stands out. Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the U.S. border to its northern reaches beyond the Arctic Circle, Canada encompasses landscapes ranging from high mountain peaks to prairies and temperate rain forests to glaciers. An enormous swath of its land is classified as tundra, a transitional zone north of the boreal forest and south of the permanent ice caps; the tundra is in all three Canadian territories and four out of 10 provinces. Given its enormous expanse, remoteness and extreme weather conditions, significant logistical challenges mean the tundra is rarely visited by tourists. Those who do set their sights on the tundra generally explore its treasures through guided tours offered by specialist adventure travel companies.

Where Is the Tundra in Canada?

In Canada, the tundra covers much of all three territories – Yukon Territory, Northwestern Territories and Nunavut – along with the northeast part of Manitoba, the far north of Ontario and Quebec, and far northern Labrador. No sizable cities are on the tundra, and it's not directly reachable by road or rail, but there are numerous smaller towns as well as airports in the vicinity. Large areas of the tundra are protected by five national wildlife areas, 14 migratory bird sanctuaries and eight national parks.

What Are the Characteristics of Canada's Tundra?

Tundra means "treeless land," and its defining characteristic is a lack of large plants. The harshly cold and windy climate of the tundra, along with its shallow soil over permafrost, make it difficult for plants to take root, and few species are able to survive there. In winter, when temperatures average -30 degrees F, the ground is covered with dense, hard snow and packed snowdrifts created by strong winds. In summer, temperatures range from 37 to 54 degrees, the snowmelt creates a vast network of rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands, and wildflowers blanket the boggy soil. Yet the tundra is remarkably dry, with lower precipitation levels than most deserts. Its northerly location means it gets very little sunlight for half of the year and plenty during the other half. Winters are long, and summers are short.

What Wildlife Lives on Canada's Tundra?

Only a handful of mammal and bird species can live on the tundra year-round. Among them are polar bears, muskoxen, caribou, Arctic wolves and Arctic foxes. However, hundreds of migratory bird species spend spring and early summer on the tundra before heading south.

Do People Live on the Tundra in Canada?

It's a well-known statistic that 90 percent of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the Canada-U.S. border, leaving the remainder of the world's second-largest country very sparsely populated. However, the tundras of Canada have been inhabited for more than 5,000 years. Today, more than 100,000 people live on the tundra, but its area is so large that the landscape seems barely untouched by human presence. Most of those living on the tundra are of First Nations, Métis and Inuit heritage.

How Can Tourists Explore the Tundra?

No roads or railways connect the Canadian tundra with the major urban centers of the south, so visitors to the remote north have no choice but to reach one of its hubs via scheduled or chartered flights. Among these airline hubs are Churchill, Manitoba, three airports in the Yukon Territory and three in Nunavut. Most visitors to the tundra opt for a guided tour package with a professional adventure company. Packages that cover accommodations, transportation and guided excursions make the planning and logistics of a tundra trip considerably easier to handle.

The most popular tundra tour packages are polar bear-viewing trips that depart from Churchill, Manitoba, which take visitors on custom "tundra buggies" to polar bears' seal-hunting grounds on the tundra near the coast of the Hudson Bay. Some tour companies operate fly-in lodges to accommodate visitors in remote regions of the tundra. They offer various adventure packages that might include hiking, fishing, hunting, river-rafting, bird-watching, cultural experiences, photography and viewing the aurora borealis. Another option is to take a package trip to the northern national parks, which are offered at times by Parks Canada.

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About the Author

Joanne Thomas has worked as a writer and editor for print and online publications since 2004. As a specialist in travel, she has penned pieces for USAToday.com, Carnival Cruise Line, Travelocity and the San Francisco Travel Association, among other names. She has lived on three continents and currently resides in California. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Bristol, U.K.

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